Sunday, April 4, 2010

Aristotle--Master or Murderer?

The teacher of Alexander was generally looked on reverntly by society, but what if all was not as it seemed.

Quote: Near the end of Alexander's life, Alexander began to suspect plots against himself, and threatened Aristotle in letters. Aristotle had made no secret of his contempt for Alexander's pretense of divinity, and the king had executed Aristotle's grandnephew Callisthenes as a traitor. A widespread tradition in antiquity suspected Aristotle of playing a role in Alexander's death, but there is little evidence for this.[9]Upon Alexander's death, anti-Macedonian sentiment in Athens once again flared. Eurymedon the hierophantChalcis, explaining, "I will not allow the Athenians to sin twice against philosophy,"[10] a reference to Athens's prior trial and execution of Socrates. However, he died in Euboea of natural causes within the year (in 322 BC). Aristotle named chief executor his student Antipater and left a will in which he asked to be buried next to his wife.[11]

Had his teacher turned against him and sought his downfall. He sided with the family that Olympias considered guilty in the plot to murder her son. Did he go that one step further and became a traitor to the Gods also?

Historians say he died of natural causes. But who really checks the body of an old man. Did Olympias have him poisoned before she went after Cassander? One cannot have stupid old men running off at the mouth, jeopardizing your own position in life either.